To Follow His Dreams
by ForeverFollowingHisDreams
Summary: Riku, a young girl. An unexpected survivor of the Uchiha Clan is saved by Tobi, while on a walk with Zetsu. Not realizing he was part of her clan's murder, she becomes his loyal follower. At the same time, fallen for the someone who hates it. Where will her journey take her? And what will happen when things start to get hard?


(This is a repherbished version of my original fan fic I started. I decided to redo the chapters because although I had fans with the old one, most of the stuff I wrote seemed out of character for the cannon characters, and after reading more of the latest manga chapters, I wanted to make it seem legit, like she could fit within the series itself. As if she was there all along and just never shown for legit reasons.

So... this version will take me a bit more time, because I will be studying the characters more with each chapter and asking people I rp with who play certain characters if they think I portrayed it the right way. But I will do my best to get thease chapters out as fast as I possibly can.

Also, i aplologise to my fans. I wasn't gonna take it down, but making two verions goes gainst the terms and conditions and keeping the old ones up when theres such a big change would make it look too weird... so... I will try and get everything up again quickly. But please keep reading, I feel this version is going to be better, and more legit story of Riku.

I do not own Naruto. I do not own the characters on it and claim no rights to them.

However, I DO own Riku. And I DO rp her already on yahoo, facebook, , gaiaonline and other places, so please do not try and steal her. Also, do not try and roleplay her. She is mine alone. However if you want to do fan pictures of her its fine. If you want to check out her fan page on Deviant Art, or Facebook, just look her up.

Please enjoy the story. And thank you for reading.)

Chapter One

**A Moment Of Fate**

The feeling of numbness was all around her, yet in a sharp, painful kind of way. The icy water seemed to spell death no matter how hard she tried to struggle against it, the current was just too fast and too strong for her tiny body to win against in this war against her life. Trying to gasp for air was pointless, and as her mind started to slip a little, she realized her body started to move less now. Her mind was starting to slip, and she was starting to feel like she was slipping into a cold sleep as her lips parted to grasp any kind of air, but there was none.

_'Freezing… freezing… that's all… What is… this feeling? It feels like… everything is pushing in against me. It feels like… my body is… getting heavier… why? I hear nothing… no sound but a strange roar running through my head. Its heavy, like my body. I can hear it… its echoing within my head… pushing me, turning me. I hear… only this… feel only cold, only pressure. I can't seem to remember… what was… I doing? What happened?'_

As these thoughts came, a faint memory of her running, running from... oh yes, that boy, the one who broke her heart, Ichimaru. She remembered, him calling out for her to stop, wait, and the moment she ran over the log that had been still went from a mix of the water it hovered over and the rain from last night. The moment she struck the water.. it was.. so cold and felt like ti was tearing at her flesh.

_'Oh, wait… that's right, I fell. I fell from that log… I fell into the river. I remember, his face… so clear… so frightened. Yes… I know what this is now… I'm dying. I'm going to die now… aren't I? My breath… can't breath. Is this it? My end? Is this how my life, my story ends? No one to remember… remember... me.'_

She recalled her old life, her family... she recalled the bullies who used to pick on her, and how she swore she would become great and show them she wasn't worthless, not a 'bruised peach in a basket of high class apples' as they called her. After so many times of hearing it, all they had to do was say 'peach' to make her to cry. Yet... she had gotten stronger since then, emotionally... or maybe it was just... she wouldn't let herself show that kind of pain anymore.

She wondered, was this really her last moment? Would she not be able to grasp life and show them all, even with them all being dead, she wanted to prove.. not only to them, but to herself she was not worthless. In one final attempt, as if her body acted on its own, desperate for life, she forced her hand up out of the water, as if to try and grab onto something to try and pull herself out.

Within that moment, a masked man with long, black, spiked hair jerked the small frame of the child appearing no older than thirteen out of the river that ran near him. Two men sat, taking a break from their travels, eating sweet rolls on the wet grass that had been dampened by the rain the night before. The two men stared down at the girl as the masked one dropped her helpless, lifeless body onto the ground.

The girl was small, frail and no longer breathing. Her skin, pale and lacking much color to it at all anymore, while wet, black tresses lay messily on her face, sticking to it from the wetness. It seemed that her last act of desperation, really was her last act. The masked man moved his black, gloved hand to the child's face and brushed the strands from her face before tilting his mask to the side and lifting her head up in his right hand. Leaning down, he placed his lips to hers and breathed into her after opening her mouth slightly. With each breath, her cheeks puffed out, showing the air was going in.

He then laid her head down and pressed hard against her chest, trying to get her heart pumping and the water to come up from her filled lungs. The other man, a man who had two different colors to him sat and watched with no comment as the other tried over and over to get the child to breathe. One half of his face appeared to be painted white, while the other was black. Around his head was a large, green sheild-ish thing that looked like an open head of a venus fly trap and had green hair that stuck up in a way, that it almost seemed like grass was growing out of his head. He wore, a long, black cloak with red inline and red clouds on it with white outline.

The masked man wore a black, skin-tight, full body suit with a simple black, hooded cloak. The mask he wore was orange and only had one eyehole, on the right side. The design on it looked similar to that of tiger stripes.

Within a few moments, the masked man noticed water coming up and stopped, simply pushing to help her sit upright so that the water went out instead of back down. The child coughed a few times as water spilled from her lips. "That's it, breath slowly now." Spoke the masked man as he patted her gently on the back while the young girl panted and looked around slowly.

"You're safe." Spoke the man in a a deep, yet smoothe voice, yet attempted a comforting tone as her eyes lifted to look up, her eyes greeted only by the mask. "Who are you...?" She asked weakly.

"Me? I'm Tobi." She was only awake long enough to hear his name before collapsing backwards into the man's arms, exhausted after her ordeal in the water. "I think its time we go, Zetsu." The man known as Tobi said, shifting to stand and hoisted the child up onto his back. Her arms dangles lifelessly around either of his shoulders. Zetsu put their things away and stood up, walking along after Tobi as he made his way to hear for a hidden base to look after the girl. She would need tending to after all that, and from feeling her cheek against his neck as he walked, he could see she had obtained a fever.

"Zetsu, go and get some medicine from a village nearby and meet me at the hideout. This child has a fever." The two toned plant-man groaned, or at least the black half did. The white side spoke in a calm, soft tone, directed at the gruff toned black side. "Aw, shes just a kid, lets get the medicine."

"Maybe is she dies, he'll let us eat her." Replied the black half seeming amused with the thought, but neither seemed to get a response from the masked man who was already quite a ways away from the two. With a, "Humph" the two headed off to get the medicine while the black-haired man carried the child to what appeared to be a hill, although after holding his fingers up in the release formation, the block disappeared and an entrance appeared.

The man then brought her inside and re-sealed it up after laying her down on a futon. Sliding off the black, leather glove from his right hand, he then move the bare hand over the girl's face to check her temperature and noticed she was slowly getting worse. Small gasps and coughs could slowly be noticed as she turned her head slightly to the side with a groan. Her body only seemed to get hotter and hotter.

Could just that medicine alone help? He didn't think so. He'd have to personally himself help her through this. So, with that thought in his mind, he stayed by the side of the futon, sitting on the backs of his legs, one hand in his lap, while the other rested gently on her shoulder. After a few minutes, it sounded like she was starting to sleep talk, as soft sounds that sounded like drowned out words came past her lips. He couldn't make out most of it, but he did notice the words, mother and the name, Ichimaru, as well as well as the word 'betray' sliped through. He couldn't tell who it was who betrayed her. Her mother? Maybe this Ichimaru person? Whoever that was.

Either way, he realized she would die if she was left alone, he couldn't very well just leave her and take off, not in her condition. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he had the deep urge to save this child. Maybe he was getting soft in his old age. Another cough and he sighed, shifting his gaze to look off to the side as he wondered where Zetsu was, why it was taking so long.

After a few more minutes had passed, Zetsu appeared, coming out of the ground near them, the venus fly trap that would have been enclosed around them, opening to show the two toned man. Or was it men? Either way, the two would hold out the medicine that was asked for, offing it to the masked man, held out in a black colored hand. Tobi took the medicine from the two and shook his head, displeased with how late they were.

"What took you so long?" He asked as he would sit her up, just enough to press the top of the bottle to her lips and force her to drink it down slowly. She was still asleep, but her body still drank it down involuntarily. "How many times must we say it?" The black half asked. "Not everyone can be ask fast as you." The white side said as if to finish the first half's thought.

"She could've died while you two were off taking your time." Tobi responded in a no-bull-shit tone. "Died? Mmm, then we could've eaten her! Right?" Tobi really wasn't amused and seemed to have no patience for the black half's twisted sense of humor. If that's what it was. "No.", was the only response he would honor him with.

As day turned into night, and night returned to day one more, Tobi never left the child's side. Zetsu also remained close, only leaving every now and then when Tobi would ask him for something that he required in order to look after the young halfling. "What was a child doing so far out here? The nearest place close to here is that village located close near the river. What was the name of it again?" The white Zetsu asked, seeming to be discussing things over with no one but himself.

"You mean that village of elderly people? I don't remember, it didn't seem important enough to remember. After all, last I remembered, they don't even have any shinobi there. Its a retirement area practically." The black half replied. "I don't remember any kids there either, other than the village elder's grand child." The two seemed to be in agreement, but the question was, still not really answered.

Tobi rested his head against his hand as he seemed to be asleep for the moment. The young girl opened her eyes slowly, as they seemed to stare blurrily at the cealing. _'Where am I...?'_ she thought to herself, before glancing to the side, noticing her sleeping savior next to her bedside. "Uh..." Sitting up slowly, she moved a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes as she tried to think back, barely remembering. _'Oh, right... I fell in the river and then...'_ Openning her eyes partly, she would glance at him once more, _'This man... saved me...'_

"So you're awake..." Her eyes widened slightly, as if in shock as she heard the sound of the same voice from the other day speaking to her again. "...Huh?" A pair of eyes would open to look at her, although she couldn't see them through the only visable hole. She didn't realize, but her shifting to sit up had been enough noise and movement to cause him to wake up. "Good to see you made it through the night." She wasn't quite sure what to say in responce to that, so in her silence, he decided to ask a question. "Whats your name girl?"

Now she had a reason to talk. An answer she could give without having to think it out. Or did she? What kind of answer should she give? The man saved her life, so she owed him the truth didn't she? Granted, it wasn't a total lie either. Fujita Riku had been the name she had been going by for so long, using her father's last name as a means to ride from anyone who would mean harm to her and her mother. A way to keep from ending up slaughtered like the rest of the clan. But, this man saved her, unknowing of who she was already. Maybe it was save to respond. "Uchiha Riku." She said finally, only causing more questions to araise as Zetsu spoke up now.

"An Uchiha...?" The black half began, "I thought the whole clan was massacured back six years ago. How did someone like you manage to survive?" Now it was the white halfs turn to speak up, although the dubble-toned man never moved from his position on the ground. "Thats a lie, Uchiha are pale. You're caramel-toned... mmm... you look so yummy. Like candy."

Riku stiffened up when she heard the odd man say she looked... 'yummy'. She didn't want to get eatten. Still, she decided to answer his question as she knew full well it was the truth. Uchiha were supposed to be pale, not... caramel. "My mother was an Uchiha... my father was from the Fujita clan. My tone is like this because of my mom's pale complection mixed with my father's dark one."

"Your father was a black man?" White Zetsu asked. "Thats what she said." The black half spoke in responding to its counter half's question. "Oh wait, I remember that clan. They used to be located in Kumogakure, until part of the clan split off and went to Suna. So you're part of them huh?" The white half asked in what seemed to be an amused tone while she frowned, seeming unsure of weather her giving them this information was really a smart idea or not now.

"How did you survive?" Tobi asked as he stared at her, keeping his position, not feeling it worth the effort to move. He was comfortable enough where he was. Riku glanced towards him, her eyes seemed to be scanning him in a way, making him raise a brow at the way she seemed to be almost studying him. In fact, it didn't even seem like she was looking at him, but more... almost like she was looking at something around him. What was with this girl? "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The girl's eyes shifted now, seeming to actually be looking at him this time. "Huh? Oh! S-sorry. What was the question again?" Tobi frowned at the responce. She answered neither of his questions and almost seemed like she was brushing off the second one, like she didn't wanna give an actual answer. No matter, he would get the answer out of her at a later time. "I asked how you survived."

"I had left with my mother before hand. Before everything happened. She had an important mission to go to a village near here, to treat a young boy who was the grand child of the head of the village. My mom wanted to train me first hand in medical skills so she pulled me from the academy for that time... it was only supposed to be temporary... just so I could go with her. But some stuff happened and... it took longer to get there than it should've. While we were there, everyone got killed. Mom and I found out from some people on our way back. So, we went back and stayed there ever since."

"Where is your mother?" Tobi's question made her frown as she looked off to the side. She looked like she was about to cry, but instead only gripped her finger into the futon. Her tone seemed to change to show she was upset, but she was struggleing with making sure to keep from howing just 'how' upset she truely was. "Shes dead... she was suffering for a really long time... she was really sick... and... she died. The same night I fell into the river... the same one you saved me from."

He could see now why she was struggling. The girl had only just lost her mother, and she had no one else left anymore. Sighing, he finally moved himself, shifting to sit beside her and moved to lean his back against the wall, as he placed one hand gently on top of her head, causing her to bow it down sadly. Her could feel her shaking, but it looked like she was struggleing to hide that too, as she would grit her teeth from the pain. "Zetsu, please leave Riku and I for the moment."

Zetsu said nothing, but he did give a disatisfied grumble as he sunk into the ground before reappearing elsewhere. Once he was gone, Tobi stared down at her again. "You have no one now do you?" His question was greeted by a shake of her head, only confirmed his suspission. "Once you're well enough to stand, I'm going to start your training." Riku blinked and glanced up at him as she looked a bit confused. "Traning...?"

"Thats right. From now on until I deem you ready, you are my student. I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself so you can take care of yourself until you can find somewhere to live."

(Well, this was the first Chapter of my story, To Follow His Dreams. If you want more, let me know, I love seeing reviews, it gives me the motivation to write.)


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